Hello for the manual 16x lens what matt box do you recomend, ive read a great artical on the Lee matte boxes but thats mounted on the lens and im not shure is the front element of the 16x man lens rotates. ZGC.com has Chrosziel 3x3 DV Sunshade designed for the xl1 manual lens, it uses rods ans runs $815. which is fine but are there any other alternitives, especially since im going to invest in buying hundreds for dollars for each glass filter I would rather buy 4x4 filters so that i could later use them when shooting on 16mm and 35mm.
So my questions is are there any alternitives for a matte box with at least one rotating filter holder that is 4x4 and works with the canon 16x manual lens ?

I know tiffen has a line of Dv products and i saw they have a DV matteBox will that work with the manual lens what about the image 2000, or the Lee belows system matte box, What do you people recommend, especially since glass filters are soo expensive, i want to get the most out of my investment.

thank you,
Kaplooee, San francisco

The front element of the new 16x manual lens does not rotate, so it's okay to use a clamp-on matte box.

Great since the front element doesnt rotate, then what matte boxes do you guys recomend, the tiffen, leee, or the image 2000, or anything else I forgot.

http://www.centuryoptics.com/products/video/digital/digsunfiltr.html

This link has a few from Century Optics. Not bad pricing either.

Have any of you checked out the Cavision matte boxes. I just got a price sheet and there systems seem alot cheaper then Chrosziel systems. I was looking at a system that has 4x4 filter holders, a rotating filter holder a bellows hood rods and 2 grip handles on the rods. All this under $700 I think.
But has anyone used these matt boxes before. I saw they are listed under canon's website under Third Party Accessories. any experience with this company from any one here ?

I have not used one of the CAVision rigs and have no direct experience, so take my note for wahtever it may be worth. But on several occasions (and locations) when CAVision rigs were mentioned there was a wave of very negative comments and experiences posted. Many folks griped about apparent cheap and shoddy construction while others complained about the vendor's reportedly sloppy customer service and shipping management.

Other than its price I've never heard anyone complain about a Chrosiel rig.

Again, take my observations for what they're worth, if anything.

Anyone try the Formatt Mattebox (www.formatt.co.uk)? It looks interesting and I'm tempted to try it out. The Formatt/Hitech resin 4x4 filters are supposed to be pretty good as well, so I hear.

I have tried several times to get Cavision on board with me, to no avail (and no, I didn't ask for free gear, I never do that). I've given up on 'em. I've seen the negative comments as well, made by people I know, so take heed and seek other alternatives.

<<<-- Originally posted by kaplooee : Have any of you checked out the Cavision matte boxes. I just got a price sheet and there systems seem alot cheaper then Chrosziel systems. I was looking at a system that has 4x4 filter holders, a rotating filter holder a bellows hood rods and 2 grip handles on the rods. All this under $700 I think.
But has anyone used these matt boxes before. I saw they are listed under canon's website under Third Party Accessories. any experience with this company from any one here ? -->>>

HI... I own Cavavision's 4x4 bellows matte box... Think it's great... Have had no problems with it on my XL1s.... It is pretty sound and has worked well.... Also had no problems with the company... Delivery and service seems OK as I got the product promptly... Don't know what all the negative stuff is about... It's a good value for the money... Guess some just have to gripe... If you want to pay big bucks just to spend mony, that's fine, but this sure does the job for a lot less than Chrosziel's stuff.... Don't like lens mounted matte boxes as they put a strain on the lenses with their weight, and it's not good for the lens or the camera mounts... They will eventually loosen up the mounts with time... With the Cavavisions rail mount, the weight is not on the lens or camera....

I own a 4x4 Chrosziel and I'm completely happy with it. BUT it is expensive. VERY expensive. In the end my box, side wings, filters, and frame was as expensive as an XL1 itself.

Think about your uses and if it's really going to give you what you might need. You might be better off spending your money on other gear.

Check out:

http://www.birnsandsawyer.com/
http://www.optexint.com/sales/lensacc/fm500.htm
http://www.formatt.co.uk

You also might do a search on this forum:

http://www.forumexperts2.com/vf/bforum.mv?module=mainindex

There are some Chrosziel and Cavision users out there. Just do a search under the GY-DV500 Discussion group.

I owned a 3x3 Cavision that I've recently sold that I used on a GL1. For the money I believe it was a good deal. I've since sold the camera and subsequently the matte box so I cannot say how it would have held up over longterm use. I only used it twice. In terms of dealing with them (Cavision) I didn't have any problem. I called up, spoke with a sales rep and ordered it. I was not told however that I would receive an additional bill weeks later from Fedex for a customs charge. I can only blaim myself for not being more informed on ordering goods outside of the country but it would have been nice for Cavision to have mentioned it to me. But overall no biggie..